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    THE KEY OF GOLD 23 Czech Folk and Fairy Tales: Tales from Ancient Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia
    THE KEY OF GOLD 23 Czech Folk and Fairy Tales: Tales from Ancient Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia
    THE KEY OF GOLD 23 Czech Folk and Fairy Tales: Tales from Ancient Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia
    Ebook209 pages3 hours

    THE KEY OF GOLD 23 Czech Folk and Fairy Tales: Tales from Ancient Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia

    By Anon E. Mouse and Translated and Retold by Joseph Baudis

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    HEREIN you will find 23 Czech tales like THE TWELVE MONTHS, BOOTS, CLOAK, AND RING, SILLY JURA, SLEEPY JOHN, KOJATA, THE ENCHANTED PRINCESSES, NINE AT A BLOW and many more. Some of which are the Czech equivalent of perennial favourites and others will seem to be completely new and previously unread.

    THIS collection of 23 Czech folk tales is intended to exemplify the richness of spirit of the Czech race. While it may be argued that folk-tales are part of a common stock belonging to all European races, and even to many primitive peoples: these tales are all the richer, for the origins of the Czech Republic are in the ancient, central European kingdoms of Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia, all of which have their unique and distinct flavour of folk and fairy tales.

    THE selection has been made from all sorts of folk tales, artistic and primitive alike; and yet two things are common to all of them: the moral tendency and a sense of humour. By this we do not mean morality in the earthy sense of retribution for evil. We mean that higher sort of morality which was the mainspring of European culture.

    IN recent times these tales have survived two world wars, the Prague Spring and fifty years of Communist (Russian) domination. During the years of communist oppression, all Warsaw Pact countries were expected to be mini-Russian states. During this time Russian language and culture dominated often to the detriment of local customs and culture. But through the power of folklore and folk tales the Czech people have been able to hold on to their national identity.

    SO, find a comfy chair, get yourself a hot drink and sit back and be prepared to be entertained. A warning: if you’re reading these stories to children, just when you think you’re finished, expect a tug at your sleeve and a simple request for “More please?”

     
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAbela Publishing
    Release dateAug 23, 2017
    ISBN9788822815309
    THE KEY OF GOLD 23 Czech Folk and Fairy Tales: Tales from Ancient Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia

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      Book preview

      THE KEY OF GOLD 23 Czech Folk and Fairy Tales - Anon E. Mouse

      THE KEY OF GOLD

      23 CZECH FOLK TALES

      SELECTED AND TRANSLATED BY

      DR. JOSEF BAUDIS, M.R.I.A.

      LECTURER IN COMPARATIVE PHILOLOGY AT THE PRAGUE UNIVERSITY

      WITH 11 ILLUSTRATIONS

      Originally Published by

      London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd.

      Ruskin House Museum Street, W.C. 1

      [1917]

      *******

      Resurrected by

      Abela Publishing, London

      [2017]

      The Key Of Gold

      Typographical arrangement of this edition

      © Abela Publishing 2017

      This book may not be reproduced in its current format in any

      manner in any media, or transmitted by any means whatsoever,

      electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, or mechanical ( including

      photocopy, file or video recording, internet web sites, blogs,

      wikis, or any other information storage and retrieval system)

      except as permitted by law without the prior written permission

      of the publisher.

      Abela Publishing,

      London

      United Kingdom

      2017

      ISBN-13: 978-8-822815-30-9

      email

      Books@AbelaPublishing.com

      Webpage

      www.AbelaPublishing.com

      PREFACE

      THE present collection has been selected from the following sources:

      Josef Kubín, Povídky kladské, i., ii. (in Národopisný věstník českoslovanský).

      V. Vondrák, Několik pohádek z Dubu u Vodňan (S. Bohemia), in Český Lid, xiii.

      V. Tille, Povídky sebrané na Valas̃sku (S. Moravia). Národopisný sborník českoslovanský, Svazek vii. Prague, 1901.

      Elpl, Řada pohádek a pověstí nasbíraných Lís̃ni u Brna (Moravia).

      B. M. Kulda, Morayské národní pohádky a pověsti, i. (Prague, 1874). From Moravia.

      The first two stories (Twelve Months, Víťazko) have been retold by the novelist Božena Němcová (from the Slovak).

      My translation could not be, of course, a literal one, because many phrases in the original might seem strange to the English reader's ear.

      Finally, I wish to express my thanks to Miss Eleanor Hull and Mr. Robin Flower for revising my English.

      Josef Baudiš.

      LONDON, October 1917.

      CONTENTS

      PREFACE

      INTRODUCTION

      1 THE TWELVE MONTHS

      2 VÍŤAZKO

      3 BOOTS, CLOAK, AND RING

      4 SILLY JURA

      5 SLEEPY JOHN

      6 THREE DOVES

      7 THE BEAR, THE EAGLE, AND THE FISH

      8 KOJATA

      9 SHEPHERD HYNEK

      10 THE THREE ROSES

      11 THE ENCHANTED PRINCESSES

      12 THE TWIN BROTHERS

      13 THE WATERNICK

      14 THE MAN WHO MET MISERY

      15 NINE AT A BLOW

      16 A CLEVER LASS

      17 THE SOLDIER AND THE DEVIL

      18 OLD NICK AND KITTY

      19 THE KNIGHT BAMBUS

      20 FRANCIS AND MARTIN

      21 WITCHES AT THE CROSS

      22 THE WITCH AND THE HORSESHOES

      23 THE HAUNTED MILL

      INTRODUCTION

      THE present collection is intended to exemplify the spirit of the Czech race. It may perhaps be objected that folk-tale themes are part of a common stock belonging to all European races, and even to many primitive peoples: but though this is perfectly true, it is also no less certain that the spirit of the nation manifests itself in the manner of their telling. The selection has been made from all sorts of folk tales, artistic and primitive alike; and yet two things are common to all of them: the moral tendency and a sense of humour. By this I do not mean morality in the vulgar sense of retribution for evil, or of filial devotion, or the sentimental insistence upon everyone living happily ever afterwards, and above all upon Jack marrying his Molly. I mean that higher sort of morality which was the mainspring of Protestantism. It is often supposed that Protestantism is very unfavourable to the development and preservation of folk tales; but those of Bohemia are certainly an exception to this rule. The Czech nation was the first to adopt the Protestant faith, and even to-day is still Protestant at heart, though the Habsburgs forced it back into the Catholic fold.

      The Czechs, then, have preserved their love for folk tales, adapting them to the higher morality and to the national sentiment, and discarding many of their supernatural features, or where the supernatural was allowed to remain for a moment, reverting very soon to the strict limits of probability. It is the very same method which, for example, Mr. Wells employs in some of his novels. That the Slav nations have a certain tendency to lay stress upon the ethical side in their folk tales has already been pointed out by the Czech poet Erben, whose tales have been translated into English in Wratislaw's Collection.

      As for their humour, the Czechs have a natural tendency to satire. The best works in Old Czech literature are satires, and in modern times one of the most brilliant of Czech politicians, Karel Havliček, was also the greatest Czech satirist. This spirit may also be seen in the present collection; but in every case the story-teller, instead of assuming the attitude of the morality preacher or of indulging in theatrical invective against the wickedness of the times, rests content with a good-humoured gibe at the folly of the world, at the frailty of his fellow-men, and, it may be, at his own.

      These two traits are inherent in the nature of the Czech people; and those who know their love of such tales and of the literature which has grown out of them, can realize their search for a haven of refuge from the cruel present and their fond dream-pictures of a land where all was good, where at last everything was bound to end well, where truth and justice at last had conquered. Alas! to the victims of Habsburg rule and Austrian bayonets the bare possibility seemed utterly excluded. And yet why should they not dream of such a land? Amo quia absurdum! But at the very moment their humorous ego could not suppress a sneer. Yes, even in that wonderland which their fancy painted are foolish kings, ever prone to break their word: even there people are bad and stupid! But our tale says that the bad were vanquished and the foolish put to shame: let, then, the tale be told! And even as he tells it, his heart nurses the inward hope that the foreign tyrants who oppress him may one day be vanquished and annihilated.

      That such were the wishes of the Czech people, the Great War has shown. They have proved by their deeds their love of freedom; and to-day Czechs are fighting bravely in every Allied army and in their own national units formed in Russia. May their Austrian oppressors be brought to the ground, and may Bohemia regain the freedom for which she has longed for three centuries!

      Josef Baudiš.

      LONDON, October 1917.

      1

      THE TWELVE MONTHS

      ONCE upon a time there lived a mother who had two daughters. One was her own child, the other her stepdaughter. She was very fond of her own daughter, but she would not so much as look at her step-daughter. The only reason was that Maruša, the stepdaughter, was prettier than her own daughter, Holena. The gentle-hearted Maruša did not know how beautiful she was, and so she could never make out why her mother was so cross with her whenever she looked at her. She had to do all the housework, tidying up the cottage, cooking, washing, and sewing, and then she had to take the hay to the cow and look after her. She did all this work alone, while Holena spent the time adorning herself and lazing about. But Maruša liked work, for she was a patient girl, and when her mother scolded and rated her, she bore it like a lamb. It was no good, however, for they grew crueller and crueller every day, only because Maruša was growing prettier and Holena uglier every day.

      At last the mother thought: Why should I keep a pretty stepdaughter in my house? When the lads come courting here, they will fall in love with Maruša and they won't look at Holena.

      From that moment the stepmother and her daughter were constantly scheming how to get rid of poor Maruša. They starved her and they beat her. But she bore it all, and in spite of all she kept on growing prettier every day. They invented torments that the cruellest of men would never have thought of. One day--it was in the middle of January--Holena felt a longing for the scent of violets. Go, Maruša, and get me some violets from the forest; I want to wear them at my waist and to smell them, she said to her sister.

      Great heavens! sister. What a strange notion! Who ever heard of violets growing under the snow? said poor Maruša.

      You wretched tatterdemalion! how dare you argue when I tell you to do something? Off you go at once, and if you don't bring me violets from the forest I'll kill you! said Holena threateningly.

      The stepmother caught hold of Maruša, turned her out of the door, and slammed it to after her. She went into the forest weeping bitterly. The snow lay deep, and there wasn't a human footprint to be seen. Maruša wandered about for a long time, tortured by hunger and trembling with cold. She begged God to take her from the world.

      At last she saw a light in the distance. She went towards the glow, and came at last to the top of a mountain. A big fire was burning there, and round the fire were twelve stones with twelve men sitting on them. Three of them had snow-white beards, three were not so old, and three were still younger. The three youngest were the handsomest of them all. They were not speaking, but all sitting silent. These twelve men were the twelve months. Great January sat highest of all; his hair and beard were as white as snow, and in his hand he held a club.

      Maruša was frightened. She stood still for a time in terror, but, growing bolder, she went up to them and said: Please, kind sirs, let me warm my hands at your fire. I am trembling with the cold.

      Great January nodded, and asked her: Why have you come here, my dear little girl? What are you looking for?

      I am looking for violets, answered Maruša.

      This is no time to be looking for violets, for everything is covered with snow, answered Great January.

      Yes, I know; but my sister Holena and my stepmother said that I must bring them some violets from the forest. If I don't bring them, they'll kill me. Tell me, fathers, please tell me where I can find them.

      Great January stood up and went to one of the younger months--it was March--and, giving him the club, he said: Brother, take the high seat.

      March took the high seat upon the stone and waved the club over the fire. The fire blazed up, the snow began to melt, the trees began to bud, and the ground under the young beech-trees was at once covered with grass and the crimson daisy buds began to peep through the grass. It was springtime. Under the bushes the violets were blooming among their little leaves, and before Maruša had time to think,

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